By ARABELLA SERRATA
Special to the PRESS
Point Isabel Independent School District [PIISD] plans to launch a new program for its at-risk students.
The PRESS spoke with Mark Chapa, a licensed professional counselor for the At-Risk Program. He has been in education for 30 years, 24 of which were spent as a school counselor. He has been officially licensed for one year, and a supervisor for three. Chapa was raised in Los Fresnos and got his education there. He has served in leadership capacities for the Texas Counseling Association and two local chapters, Tip of Texas and the Rio Grande Valley Counseling Association.
Chapa will offer his counseling skills to the students of the At-Risk Program. The program will give mental health assistance and general resources to help get students back into the classroom, no matter what that looks like.
Chapa shared some reasons why students don’t return to school.
“One of them is because they don’t feel comfortable at school, or that something in their home environment or life has happened to them and they may not know how to navigate that alone,” said Chapa.
Chapa hopes that he and the rest of the staff can provide resources to those students who need them the most. Students who need help will be identified by attendance and those who speak with school administrators for help. Those administrators will then contact Chapa and the team to connect them to the student.
Chapa encourages students who are hesitant to ask for help. The services are purely confidential; nothing the students speak about will be repeated. Chapa also mentions that there are more resources than many students initially thought.
“We might not have all the answers, but we do have enough resources and community partners to go out there and find the information and resources available,” said Chapa.
Chapa recognized the demographic and the importance of having a support system. Chapa said the team has been speaking with people in the community who have had issues previously or aren’t coming to school.
While the district has worked on an at-risk program in the past, the hard-working administration behind them was “wearing many hats,” according to Chapa. This new program will feature counselors and other employees whose sole responsibility is the program. This team will have a social worker, coordinator, district-wide school counselor and Chapa. The group will be called the Dream Team.
“This team is solely dedicated to helping students with these issues…Our priority and sole purpose is to help the students feel welcome and help offer resources to families who may not have them,” said Chapa.
Chapa mentioned parenting classes as one of the resources the program plans to offer. Chapa commented on how many students opened their schedules up for work to support their families during remote learning. These students now have to choose between financial support for themselves and their families, or completing their education. The Steps to Educational Partnership [STEP] program is what the school currently uses to help get students back to school while offering flexible schedules
Want the whole story? Pick up a copy of the Port Isabel-South Padre Press, or subscribe to our E-Edition by clicking here.
Comments